- Comtois -

This ancient breed is thought to have
existed in the French-Comte region of France as early as the fourth
century, when they were mentioned by Publius Vegese. They probably
originated from German horses imported by the Burgundians, and it
seems that their appearance has not altered dramatically over the
years.

During the 16th century, they were used
to improve the Burgundy Horse, and were themselves improved during
the 19th century by Norman, Percheron and Boulonnais blood. More
recently there have been infusions of Ardennes blood into the breed,
which has greatly improved their strength and soundness. They are
versatile horses, and were favored by the military in France. They
were used by Louis XIV for both the cavalry and the artillery, and
in Russia during Napoleon's attacks. They are suitable for draft,
farm, and riding, and are surefooted and tough. They are a mountain
type, and are now bred widely in the mountainous areas of the Alps,
Pyrenees, and Massif Central. They are ideally suited to the climate
and environment of mountain work. However, they are also used for
work in the forests and, interestingly, for working in the vineyards.

In appearance, they tend to have cobby
characteristics with a large head, a straight profile, and small,
alert ears. The neck should be very muscular and is often quite
short. They are broad and deep through the chest, with a rounded
ribcage, short, strong legs, and powerful hindquarters. The legs
have good strong joints and hard hooves, and are generally quite
clean, with minimal feathering. Occasionally they will have the
conformational defect of sickly hocks. They have a distinctive,
often very dark, chestnut coloring, and a lighter mane and tail,
and generally stand at under 15 hh.

They are still used in France, for working
in steep and rough areas, and are also, sadly, bred for the meat
industry. The breed remains fairly prolific and has not become dramatically
reduced in numbers as many draft breeds have since the use of motorized
machinery. In part, the meat trade of France strangely helps to
maintain the heavy horse breed numbers although horses being bred
solely for the meat industry tend to suffer a deterioration in characteristics,
as the emphasis is placed on producing bulk and meat.